a young nothing man
by seda di
Summary: Nobody starts off being evil. This is about the Nothing man when he was younger. A lonely boy called Derek


please cc, this story is a little strange but i hope you like it.

A young nothing man

Derek watched the stoppered bottle excitedly, his whole concentration on the nymph inside it. Every now and then he felt into the bottle with his magic, trying to seeif she was ready, but she was not. Biting his nail anxiously he watched the blue water nymph inside trying to get oxygen from the stale air in the bottle. She was taking longer to die than he had expected and the finger he had been biting on had begun to bleed quite badly. He ignored it and absentmindedly switched to a different finger, his wide eyes never leaving the thing in the bottle.

Then he saw it, the flicker of separation showing a being leaving it's body for the realm of the dead but he wouldn't let this one get away. He was so excited that he almost gave a squeal of delight but then stopped, sternly reminding himself that great mages didn't do that sort of thing. Disregarding his bleeding fingers he opened his hands and let his full magic run into the bottle. The nymph twisted trying to escape as the smoke tendrils of magic coiled and snuck round her. Feeling the smoke she cried louder, sobs racking her throat and coughing out through her mouth. Derek winced. He didn't like loud and uncontrolled sounds. He concentrated on his magic and directed it to her mouth where it fled into her body choking her as the smoke tendrils became a thick, black river filling her body and trapping her will until, it was his. He felt the change at once, his eyes widened with surprise and he giggled as he looked at the still nymph, her eyes replaced by swirling black holes of smoke.

'Hello, my little lovely' he crooned at the nymph, picking her gently up out of the bottle. 'Won't you sit up for me, my precious?' he simpered, and she did. Derek smiled and cradled the beautiful thing closer to him in his bleeding and bitten hands. 'You'll be my friend, won't you?' he whispered beaming.

'OY! OPEN THE DOOR! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THERE!' an arrogant and booming voice demanded.

Derek visibly shrank, he wondered if he dared disobey that voice. He stood still for a moment in silent debate with himself, imagining a scenario where he was braver and called back telling the voice to leave him alone.

But Derek knew he would never be that brave. Running to the other side of the room to get the key, he wondered where he could hide his treasure safely, desperately searching his barren room for a hiding place.

'DEREK I SWEAR IF YOU DON'T OPEN THIS DOOR!'

Derek gently placed the nymph down on the shelf farthest from the door and mumbling assurances that she would be safe there he reached for the key. Cringing towards the door he put the key in the lock still mumbling to himself absentmindedly.

An angry, good looking youth strode in to the room and at least five inches taller he towered over Derek. This was Arram Draper, one of the most promising pupils at the city of the gods. He had been admitted in at twelve years of age and was already at sixteen a master and soon to be a student of the most prestigious professor in the whole of Carthak university.   
Arram Draper was loved by staff and students alike. He was witty, generous and kind to everyone. Derek was the exception.

Wiping bloody hands on his robes Derek backed away from the tall boy. He gulped at the fierce look in the older boy's eye and glanced frantically at his nymph to make sure she was still safe. Arram caught the glance and followed it straight over to the shelf where the nymph sat obediently staring blankly through her eyes of smoke.

Arram recognised a trapped spirit at once and he walked over to the shelf in a fascinated revulsion. Derek rushing to protect his creation got there first. He tried to stand in front of his nymph so Arram couldn't get to her, trying to make himself look intimidating as possible. Arram didn't even notice that Derek was trying to obstruct him. He merely pushed passed the smaller boy and picked up the nymph and examined her.

'So this is why you missed class? This is what you've been working on.' Arram said revolted as he turned the nymph around looking closely for the traces of a necromancy spell.

'I haven't been working on her. She's my friend.' Derek protested snatching the nymph from Arrams hands and shielding her from his disgusted and angry gaze.

'You're friend! You're friend!' Arram stood stupefied at the insanity of this statement. 'She's not you're friend. You're controlling her! You've captured her soul and she's trapped! There's nothing left in there to be friends with.'

'No, it's not like that,' Derek snivelled. 'Look,' he held out a finger to the sprite and she clasped it gently with her small blue claw. 'We're friends' he said softly, smiling at the creature.

As if to prove it he began to bounce the creature in his hands gently as though rocking a small child and at his wish the nymph started to laugh. It was a small bubbly sound that mocked the whole scene around it. Derek was delighted by the laugh and began to rock the nymph faster and faster, the laughter rose at his command until it was an endless excited scream.

The monotone scream seemed to build up in Arram's ears until he could bear it no longer. He took the nymph from Derek's hands and snapped her neck open so that black smoke rose out of her body, freeing her. He dumped the broken thing in Derek's hand and feeling as though he was going to throw up he almost ran out of the room not looking back once at Derek and his broken toy.

Derek looked at the thing in his hands with shock. He placed her carefully in the fire watching the flames slowly consume her body, trying very hard not to cry.


End file.
